Raggedy Ann And The Fairies' Gift
: Raggedy Ann StoriesAll the dolls were tucked snugly in their little doll-beds for the night
and the large house was very still.
Every once in a while Fido would raise one ear and partly open one eye,
for his keen dog sense seemed to tell him that something was about to
happen.
Finally he opened both eyes, sniffed into the air and, getting out of
his basket and shaking himself, he trotted across the nursery to
Ann's bed.
Fido put his cold nose in Raggedy Ann's neck. She raised her head from
the little pillow.
"Oh! It's you, Fido!" said Raggedy Ann. "I dreamed the tin soldier put
an icicle down my neck!"
"I can't sleep," Fido told Raggedy Ann. "I feel that something is about
to happen!"
"You have been eating too many bones lately, Fido, and they keep you
awake," Raggedy replied.
"No, it isn't that. I haven't had any bones since the folks had beef
last Sunday. It isn't that. Listen, Raggedy!"
Raggedy Ann listened.
There was a murmur as if someone were singing, far away.
"What is it?" asked Fido.
"Sh!" cautioned Raggedy Ann, "It's music."
It was indeed music, the most beautiful music Raggedy Ann had ever
heard.
It grew louder, but still seemed to be far away.
Raggedy Ann and Fido could hear it distinctly and it sounded as if
hundreds of voices were singing in unison.
"Please don't howl, Fido," Raggedy Ann said as she put her two rag arms
around the dog's nose. Fido usually "sang" when he heard music.
But Fido did not sing this time; he was filled with wonder. It seemed as
if something very nice was going to happen.
Raggedy Ann sat upright in bed. The room was flooded with a strange,
beautiful light and the music came floating in through the nursery
window.
Raggedy Ann hopped from her bed and ran across the floor, trailing the
bed clothes behind her. Fido followed close behind and together they
looked out the window across the flower garden.
There among the flowers were hundreds of tiny beings, some playing on
tiny reed instruments and flower horns, while others sang. This was the
strange, wonderful music Raggedy and Fido had heard.
"It's the Fairies!" said Raggedy Ann. "To your basket quick, Fido! They
are coming this way!" And Raggedy Ann ran back to her bed, with the bed
clothes trailing behind her.
Fido gave three jumps and he was in his basket, pretending he was sound
asleep, but one little black eye was peeping through a chink in the
side.
Raggedy jumped into her bed and pulled the covers to her chin, but lay
so that her shoe-button eyes could see towards the window.
Little Fairy forms radiant as silver came flitting into the nursery,
singing in far away voices. They carried a little bundle. A beautiful
light came from this bundle, and to Raggedy Ann and Fido it seemed like
sunshine and moonshine mixed. It was a soft mellow light, just the
sort of light you would expect to accompany Fairy Folk.
As Raggedy watched, her candy heart went pitty-pat against her cotton
stuffing, for she saw a tiny pink foot sticking out of the bundle of
light.
The Fairy troop sailed across the nursery and through the door with
their bundle and Raggedy Ann and Fido listened to their far away music
as they went down the hall.
Presently the Fairies returned without the bundle and disappeared
through the nursery window.
Raggedy Ann and Fido again ran to the window and saw the Fairy troop
dancing among the flowers.
The light from the bundle still hung about the nursery and a strange
lovely perfume floated about.
When the Fairies' music ceased and they had flown away, Raggedy Ann and
Fido returned to Raggedy's bed to think it all out.
When old Mister Sun peeped over the garden wall and into the nursery,
and the other dolls awakened, Raggedy Ann and Fido were still puzzled.
"What is it, Raggedy Ann?" asked the tin soldier and Uncle Clem, in one
voice.
Before Raggedy Ann could answer, Marcella came running into the nursery,
gathered up all the dolls in her arms, and ran down the hall, Fido
jumping beside her and barking shrilly.
"Be quiet!" Marcella said to Fido, "It's asleep and you might awaken
it!"
Mamma helped Marcella arrange all the dolls in a circle around the bed
so that they could all see what was in the bundle.
Mamma gently pulled back the soft covering and the dolls saw a tiny
little fist as pink as coral, a soft little face with a cunning tiny
pink nose, and a little head as bald as the French dolly's when her hair
came off.
My, how the dollies all chattered when they were once again left alone
in the nursery!
"A dear cuddly baby brother for Mistress!" said Uncle Clem.
"A beautiful bundle of love and Fairy Sunshine for everybody in the
house!" said Raggedy Ann, as she went to the toy piano and joyously
played "Peter-Peter-Pumpkin-Eater" with one rag hand.
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